Economic Potential of Innovative Receiver Concepts With Different Solar Field Configurations for Supercritical Steam Cycles

2013 ◽  
Vol 136 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Csaba Singer ◽  
Reiner Buck ◽  
Robert Pitz-Paal ◽  
Hans Müller-Steinhagen
Keyword(s):  
Molten Salt ◽  
Cost Reduction ◽  
Reduction Potential ◽  
Power Level ◽  
Direct Absorption ◽  
Reference Case ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Absorber Structure ◽  
Solar Field ◽  
Lateral Area

The cost reduction potential of solar power towers (SPT) is an important issue concerning its market introduction. Raising the steam process temperature and pressure can lead to a cost reduction due to increased overall plant efficiency. Thus, for new receiver configurations, a supercritical steam cycle operated at 300 bar/600 °C/610 °C live steam conditions was assumed. The considered systems include innovative direct absorption receivers, either with conventional or beam down heliostat field layouts. For the beam down option, the receiver is assumed to be a cylindrical vessel with a flow-through porous absorber structure at the internal lateral area of the cylinder. The direct absorption receiver option consists of a cylindrical barrel with downwards oriented aperture, whose absorber structure at the internal lateral area is cooled by a molten salt film. For the assessment, CFD based methods are developed and able to examine the receiver efficiency characteristics. Based on the receiver thermal efficiency characteristics and the solar field characteristics, the annual performance is evaluated using hourly time series. The assessment methodology is based on the European Concentrated Solar Thermal Roadmap (ECOSTAR) study and enables the prediction of the annual performance and the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Applying appropriate cost assumptions from literature, the LCOE are estimated for each considered SPT concept and compared to tubular receiver concepts with molten salt and liquid metal cooling. The power level of the compared concepts and the reference case is 200 MWel. The sensitivity of the specific cost assumptions is analyzed. No detailed evaluation is done for the thermal storage, but comparable storage utilization and costs are assumed for all cases. At optimized plant parameters, the results indicate a LCOE reduction potential of up to 0.5% for beam down and of up to 7.2% for the direct absorption receiver compared to today's state of the art molten salt solar tower technology.

Economic Potential of Innovative Receiver Concepts With Different Solar Field Configurations for Supercritical Steam Cycles

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cs. Singer ◽  
R. Buck ◽  
R. Pitz-Paal ◽  
H. Mu¨ller-Steinhagen
Keyword(s):  
Molten Salt ◽  
Cost Reduction ◽  
Reduction Potential ◽  
Power Level ◽  
Direct Absorption ◽  
Reference Case ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Absorber Structure ◽  
Solar Field ◽  
Lateral Area

The cost reduction potential of solar power towers (SPT) is an important issue concerning its market introduction. Raising the steam process temperature and pressure can lead to a cost reduction due to increased overall plant efficiency. Thus, for new receiver configurations a supercritical steam cycle operated at 300 bar / 600°C / 610°C live steam conditions was assumed. The considered systems include innovative direct absorption receivers, either with conventional or beam down heliostat field layouts. For the beam down option the receiver is assumed to be a cylindrical vessel with a flow-through porous absorber structure at the internal lateral area of the cylinder. The direct absorption receiver option consists of a cylindrical barrel with downwards oriented aperture, whose absorber structure at the internal lateral area is cooled by a molten salt film. For the assessment, CFD based methods were developed to be able to examine the receiver efficiency characteristics. Based on the receiver thermal efficiency characteristics and the solar field characteristics the annual performance is evaluated using hourly time series. The assessment methodology is based on the European Concentrated Solar Thermal Roadmap (ECOSTAR) study and enables the prediction of the annual performance and the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Applying appropriate cost assumptions from literature the LCOE were estimated for each considered SPT concept and compared to tubular receiver concepts with molten salt and liquid metal cooling. The power level of the compared concepts and the reference case is 200 MWel. The sensitivity of the specific cost assumptions was analyzed. No detailed evaluation was done for the thermal storage, but comparable storage utilization and costs were assumed for all cases. At optimized plant parameters the results indicate a LCOE reduction potential of up to 0.5% for beam down and of up to 7.2% for the direct absorption receiver compared to today’s state of the art molten salt solar tower technology.

scholarly journals Assessment of Solar Power Tower Driven Ultrasupercritical Steam Cycles Applying Tubular Central Receivers With Varied Heat Transfer Media

2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Csaba Singer ◽  
Reiner Buck ◽  
Robert Pitz-Paal ◽  
Hans Müller-Steinhagen
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Cost Reduction ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Reduction Potential ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Power Level ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Reference Case ◽  
Solar Power Tower ◽  
Significant Cost Reduction

For clean and efficient electric power generation, the combination of solar power towers (SPTs) with ultrasupercritical steam cycle power plants could be the next development step. The methodology of the European concentrated solar thermal roadmap study was used to predict the annual performance and the cost reduction potential of this option applying tubular receivers with various appropriate high temperature heat transfer media (HTM). For the assessment, an analytical model of the heat transfer in a parametric 360 deg cylindrical and tubular central receiver was developed to examine the receiver’s efficiency characteristics. The receiver’s efficiency characteristics, which are based on different irradiation levels relative to the receiver’s design point, are, then, used to interpolate the receiver’s thermal efficiency in an hourly based annual calculation of one typical year that is defined by hourly based real measurements of the direct normal irradiance and the ambient temperature. Applying appropriate cost assumptions from literature, the levelized electricity costs (LEC) were estimated for each considered SPT concept and compared with the reference case, which is a scale-up of the state of the art molten salt concept. The power level of all compared concepts and the reference case is 50 MWel. The sensitivity of the specific cost assumptions for the LEC was evaluated for each concept variation. No detailed evaluation was done for the thermal storage but comparable costs were assumed for all cases. The results indicate a significant cost reduction potential of up to 15% LEC reduction in the liquid metal HTM processes. Due to annual performance based parametric studies of the number of receiver panels and storage capacity, the results also indicate the optimal values of these parameters concerning minimal LEC.

Economic Chances and Technical Risks of the Internal Direct Absorption Receiver (IDAR)

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cs. Singer ◽  
R. Buck ◽  
R. Pitz-Paal ◽  
H. Müller-Steinhagen
Keyword(s):  
Molten Salt ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Power Level ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Direct Absorption ◽  
Film Stability ◽  
Salt Film ◽  
Receiver System ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Cost

Increased receiver temperatures of solar tower power plants are proposed to decrease the plants levelized electricity costs (LEC) due to the utilization of supercritical steam power plants and thus higher overall plant efficiency. Related to elevated receiver temperatures preliminary concept studies show a distinct LEC reduction potential of the internal direct absorption receiver (IDAR), if it is compared to liquid in tube (LIT) or beam down (BD) receiver types. The IDAR is characterized by a downwards oriented aperture of a cylindrical cavity, whose internal lateral area is illuminated from the concentrator field and cooled by a liquid molten salt film. The objective is the further efficiency enhancement, as well as the identification and assessment of the technical critical aspects. For this a detailed fluid mechanic and thermodynamic receiver model of the novel receiver concept is developed to be able to analyze the IDAR’s operating performance at full size receiver geometries. The model is used to analyze the open parameters concerning the feasibility, functionality and performance of the concept. Hence, different system management strategies are examined and assessed, which lead to the proposal of a cost optimized lead-concept. This concept involves a rotating receiver system with inclined absorber walls. The spatial arrangements of the absorber walls minimize thermal losses of the receiver and enhance film stability. The centrifugal forces acting on the liquid salt film are essential to realize the required system criteria, which are related to the maximal molten salt temperature, film stability and droplet ejection. Compared to the state of the art at a 200 MWel power level the IDAR concept can lead to a LEC reduction of up to 8%. The cost assumptions made for the assessment are quantified with sensitivity analysis.

Economic Chances and Technical Risks of the Internal Direct Absorption Receiver

2013 ◽  
Vol 136 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Csaba Singer ◽  
Reiner Buck ◽  
Robert Pitz-Paal ◽  
Hans Müller-Steinhagen
Keyword(s):  
Molten Salt ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Power Level ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Direct Absorption ◽  
Film Stability ◽  
Salt Film ◽  
Receiver System ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Cost

Increased receiver temperatures of solar tower power plants are proposed to decrease the plants levelized electricity costs (LEC) due to the utilization of supercritical steam power plants and thus higher overall plant efficiency. Related to elevated receiver temperatures preliminary concept studies show a distinct LEC reduction potential of the internal direct absorption receiver (IDAR), if it is compared to liquid in tube (LIT) or beam-down (BD) receiver types. The IDAR is characterized by a downward oriented aperture of a cylindrical cavity, whose internal lateral area is illuminated from the concentrator field and cooled by a liquid molten salt film. The objective is the further efficiency enhancement, as well as the identification and assessment of the technical critical aspects. For this a detailed fluid mechanic and thermodynamic receiver model of the novel receiver concept is developed to be able to analyze the IDAR's operating performance at full size receiver geometries. The model is used to analyze the open parameters concerning the feasibility, functionality and performance of the concept. Hence, different system management strategies are examined and assessed, which lead to the proposal of a cost optimized lead-concept. This concept involves a rotating receiver system with inclined absorber walls. The spatial arrangements of the absorber walls minimize thermal losses of the receiver and enhance film stability. The centrifugal forces acting on the liquid salt film are essential to realize the required system criteria, which are related to the maximal molten salt temperature, film stability and droplet ejection. Compared to the state of the art at a 200 MWel power level the IDAR concept can lead to a LEC reduction of up to 8%. The cost assumptions made for the assessment are quantified with sensitivity analysis.

scholarly journals Performance Investigation of High Temperature Application of Molten Solar Salt Nanofluid in a Direct Absorption Solar Collector

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 285 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Karim ◽  
Owen Arthur ◽  
Prasad Yarlagadda ◽  
Majedul Islam ◽  
Md Mahiuddin
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Molten Salt ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Total Efficiency ◽  
Total System ◽  
Direct Absorption ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Direct Absorption Solar Collector

Nanofluids have great potential in a wide range of fields including solar thermal applications, where molten salt nanofluids have shown great potential as a heat transfer fluid (HTF) for use in high temperature solar applications. However, no study has investigated the use of molten salt nanofluids as the HTF in direct absorption solar collector systems (DAC). In this study, a two dimensional CFD model of a direct absorption high temperature molten salt nanofluid concentrating solar receiver has been developed to investigate the effects design and operating variables on receiver performance. It has been found that the Carnot efficiency increases with increasing receiver length, solar concentration, increasing height and decreasing inlet velocity. When coupled to a power generation cycle, it is predicted that total system efficiency can exceed 40% when solar concentrations are greater than 100×. To impart more emphasis on the temperature rise of the receiver, an adjusted Carnot efficiency has been used in conjunction with the upper temperature limit of the nanofluid. The adjusted total efficiency also resulted in a peak efficiency for solar concentration, which decreased with decreasing volume fraction, implying that each receiver configuration has an optimal solar concentration.

Comparison of Two-Tank Indirect Thermal Storage Designs for Solar Parabolic Trough Power Plants

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Kopp ◽  
R. F. Boehm
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Molten Salt ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Thermal Storage ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Parabolic Trough ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Solar Field

The performance of a solar thermal parabolic trough plant with thermal storage is dependent upon the arrangement of the heat exchangers that ultimately transfer energy from the sun into steam. An indirect two-tank molten salt storage system that only transfers heat with the solar field heat transfer fluid is the most commercially acceptable thermal storage design. Annual electricity generation from two differing indirect two-tank molten salt storage designs and a base case with no thermal storage were modeled. Four components were characterized in a quasi-steady state analysis dependent upon key ambient and operational parameters: solar field, storage, heat exchangers, and power block. The parameters for the collector field remained constant for all models and were based on the SEGS VI plant. The results of net power generation favor storage though the design that maximizes annual output depends on whether maximum power generation or power generation during the evening peak demand hours is desired. Additionally, the economic trade offs are discussed for the three arrangements.

scholarly journals Cost Analysis of Different Operation Strategies for Falling Particle Receivers

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Gobereit ◽  
Lars Amsbeck ◽  
Reiner Buck ◽  
Csaba Singer
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Power Level ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Specific Cost ◽  
Levelized Cost ◽  
Detailed Evaluation ◽  
Concentrated Solar Radiation ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Heat ◽  
Simultaneous Variation

The potential for highly efficient and cost competitive solar energy collection at high temperatures drives the actual research and development activities for particle tower systems. One promising concept for particle receivers is the falling particle receiver. This paper is related to a particle receiver, in which falling ceramic particles form a particle curtain, which absorbs the concentrated solar radiation. Complex operation strategies will result in higher receiver costs, for both investment and operation. The objective of this paper is to assess the influence of the simultaneous variation of receiver costs and efficiency characteristics on levelized cost of heat (LCOH) and on levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Applying cost assumptions for the particle receiver and the particle transport system, the LCOE are estimated and compared for each considered concept. The power level of the compared concepts is 125 MWel output at design point. The sensitivity of the results on the specific cost assumptions is analyzed. No detailed evaluation is done for the thermal storage, but comparable storage utilization and costs are assumed for all cases.

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